Announcing the 2024-25 Classified School Employees of the Year

Three outstanding employees were selected recently to represent San Diego County as Classified School Employees of the Year. The honorees highlight the wide variety of skills that classified school employees bring to school sites, representing the health and student services, paraprofessional services, and custodial and maintenance services specialties.

Learn more about the three San Diego County Classified School Employees of the Year below. They will now compete to be 2024 California State Classified Employees of the Year. For decades, the San Diego County Office of Education has honored classified school employees through the countywide program.

Lamis Abousalem, English Language Learner Instructional Assistant, Poway Unified School District

Lamis Abousalem has been a pillar of Bernardo Heights’ English Learner program for the last eight years.

She provides unconditional love and emotional support for her students. She cares deeply for them and is beloved by students and their families.

Abousalem is a trusted adult on campus, bringing to her position her own background and lived experience of being from another country and still having close family overseas. The students know she can relate and can understand some of their hardships.

Araceli Brambila, Student Transition Technician, San Diego County Office of Education

For more than two decades, Araceli Brambila has supported the academic and personal development of students across the county as part of Juvenile Court and Community Schools (JCCS).

Brambila started at the San Diego County Office of Education in 1998 as a teacher’s assistant and has also been a community clerical assistant and student support specialist. For the last 10 years, she has worked as a student transition technician.

She is also a graduate of the JCCS program.

Miguel Velasquez, Custodial/Groundskeeper, Escondido Union High School District

Miguel Velasquez ensures Valley High School is in pristine condition for students, staff, and all who visit every day.

Colleagues share that he seems to always “know” what is needed before staff even ask. They also say he has a great work ethic, takes pride in his work, and loves what he does.

He has been with the district for more than 12 years. Students have started calling him tio, uncle in Spanish, as a sign of respect. On top of being a person of service, and completely giving himself to his work, Miguel does everything with a smile and kindness.